Harlem Civil Rights Walking Tour: Apollo Theater & 1960s Sites

Stand inside the Apollo Theater lobby and hear the stories behind the entertainers who launched their careers there

A 2-hour walking tour through Harlem's civil rights sites, led by a guide born and raised in the neighborhood, with portable video and audio equipment bringing the 1960s and 1970s history into focus at each stop. You'll walk through churches, theaters and residences tied to the movement, enter the Apollo Theater lobby for photos and context, and finish with recommendations for restaurants and cultural institutions to explore afterward. Luggage storage and wifi are available at the Harlem Heritage Tourism and Cultural Center before and after the tour.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Harlem civil rights history

• Walk Harlem civil rights sites
• Visit Apollo Theater lobby
• Take photos by Apollo murals

The Experience

The tour starts at the Harlem Heritage Tourism and Cultural Center, just minutes from Midtown via the uptown express subway. Your guide—someone who grew up in these streets—walks you through the neighborhood's civil rights landmarks over two hours, stopping at churches, theaters and homes tied to the 1960s and 1970s. The guide carries portable video and speaker equipment, so footage plays at each site instead of you imagining the history from a distance.

The Apollo Theater stop is the centerpiece: you enter the lobby where the guide explains its role in launching the careers of entertainers who performed there, and you get time to photograph the murals of those artists. The guide points out restaurants, galleries and cultural institutions throughout Harlem that you can visit on your own after the tour ends, so the walk becomes a map for the rest of your day in the neighborhood.

You can store luggage and bags at the cultural center while you're out, so you're not carrying anything through the streets. Wifi is available there too. The tour is wheelchair accessible, strollers are welcome, and the nearby subway stops have accessible entrances. Public transportation options are available throughout the area if you need them.

What’s included

• A Harlem-born guide who narrates the history at each stop.
• portable video and speaker equipment bringing applicable footage to the sites.
• entry to the Apollo Theater lobby with photo opportunities at the murals.
• luggage storage and wifi at the Harlem Heritage Tourism and Cultural Center.
• recommendations for restaurants and cultural institutions to visit afterward.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Harlem Heritage Tours

Is this one for you?The guide speaks English throughout the tour, so you follow the narrative and the video without translation. This works for anyone who wants the civil rights history explained by someone from the neighborhood itself, without needing to read plaques or navigate the sites on your own.

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Top questions

What exactly do you see inside the Apollo Theater on this tour?

You enter the Apollo Theater lobby with the guide, who explains the venue's history and its role in launching careers during the civil rights era. Guests have time to photograph the murals of entertainers who performed there, but the tour does not include access to the theater seats or performance space itself.

How does the guide use the video equipment during the walking tour?

The guide carries portable video and speaker equipment and plays applicable footage at each stop along the route, bringing the 1960s and 1970s civil rights history to life at the actual sites where events took place and leaders lived.

Can I store my bags while I'm on the tour?

Yes, you can store luggage and bags inside the Harlem Heritage Tourism and Cultural Center while you're out on the tour, so you don't have to carry them through the neighborhood.

How long does the tour take and what neighborhoods or streets will we walk through?

The tour lasts 2 hours and covers Harlem's historic streets, visiting churches, theaters and residences associated with the civil rights, Black Power and Black Arts movements of the 1960s and 1970s.

Is this tour accessible if I use a wheelchair or have a stroller?

Yes, the tour is wheelchair accessible and infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. Public transportation options nearby are also wheelchair accessible, and the cultural center is just minutes from Midtown via the uptown express subway.

What will I learn about the Apollo Theater and the civil rights movement?

Your Harlem-born guide provides narrative explaining the history of the Apollo Theater and its connection to the civil rights era, along with the stories of churches, homes and other sites tied to the movement and the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 1970s.